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Particulars
of Christianity:
303
Bible Cosmology
Part 1:
The Old Testament - Buildings in Heaven
Cosmology: Introduction and Definitions
Part 1: The Old Testament - Buildings
in Heaven
Bodies in Heaven: Angels and Spirit
Bodies
Humans and Angels: How Similar are
We?
Hell in the Old Testament
Part 2: From Christ's Death to His
Return
Part 3: Christ's Return Through His
Millennial Reign
Part 4: The Final Judgment and Eternity
Replaced or Restored: "Restarts" vs.
the First Start
Replaced or Restored: Genesis 1 and Angels
Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals
Restoration (Part 1)
Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals
Restoration (Part 2)
Replaced or Restored: More on the
Creation of Angels (Part 1)
Replaced or Restored: More on the
Creation of Angels (Part 2)
Cosmology: Composite Chart
Cosmogony Illustrations
This first time period extends from the creation account in
Genesis to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In
this section of our study, we will be attempting to establish
correct Biblical definitions for heaven and hell and in particular,
where the righteous dead went during this time and conversely,
where the wicked dead went.
First, we'll start with a proper definition of "heaven." Even
though this section of our study is devoted to an examination
of the Old Testament prior to the coming of Christ Jesus,
we will see that our description of heaven during that period
of time will also apply to at least the second and third time
periods that we have distinguished and will cover separately
in this study (i.e. from the first coming of Christ to the
second coming of Christ and from the second coming of Christ
through the 1000 year reign to the Final Judgment).
Technically, the term "heaven" is used to refer to 3 separate
notions, depending upon the context. These 3 separate definitions
are listed below along with scripture verses that exemplify
those definitions.
The term "heaven" sometimes refers to:
1.) outer space where celestial bodies such as stars,
planets, galaxies, and moons, etc. reside. (Genesis 1:8,14-17.)
2) the sky, atmosphere, etc. surrounding the earth
(Genesis 7:23.)
3) the place where God and angels
currently reside as distinguished from the earth
(Genesis 21:17, 22:11, 28:12, Colossians 1:16.)
Even the Hebrew word "shamayim" (Strong's No. 08064), which
is used for "heaven" in Genesis 1:1, includes these 3 definitions.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven
(08064) and the earth.
08064 shamayim dual of an unused singular shameh
from an unused root meaning to be lofty; TWOT-2407a; n m
AV-heaven 398, air 21, astrologers + 01895 1; 420
1) heaven, heavens, sky
1a) visible heavens, sky
1a1) as abode of the stars
1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere,
etc
1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)
First, it is important to make note of these 3 distinct definitions
or usages of the term "heaven" so that we do not confuse these
concepts when we think about or talk about heaven. It is important
for us to distinguish between these conceptually because,
for example, God does not reside in the clouds hovering over
planet earth. As we will soon demonstrate, the place
where God and the angels currently reside does indeed have
physical structures to it.
Second, it is important to discard the contemporary Christian
usage of "heaven" to refer to a future time. Heaven is not
a time; it is a place. It is no more accurate to refer to
heaven as a time than to refer to earth as a time. In fact,
this use of the term "heaven" to refer to a time is largely
a result of the association of "heaven" as a synonym for the
"kingdom of God." Because the kingdom of God refers to the
coming reign of Christ on earth, it is appropriate to refer
to "waiting for the kingdom of God to come." In that sense,
the kingdom of God does refer to a future period of human
history. By mistakenly using "heaven" and "the kingdom of
God" as synonyms, it is common in modern Christianity for
people to speak of heaven as a future period of time as well.
For the purposes of this study, however, we are focusing on
definition 3 for the term "heaven."
3) Heaven - the place where God
and angels currently reside as distinguished from the earth (Genesis 21:17, 22:11, 28:12, Colossians 1:16.)
We will now continue forward to demonstrate that heaven is
a place comprised of physical structures, just as earth has
physical dimensions to it as well. Or in other words, heaven
is not an immaterial place. Rather, heaven is just as material as the visible world in which we live.
First, heaven has physical structures in it. The earthly temple
and tabernacle of the Old Testament were based upon a pre-existent
angelic tabernacle and temple.
Exodus 25:9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings
exactly like the pattern I will show you.
Exodus 25:40 See that you make them according to
the pattern shown you on the mountain.
Numbers 8:4 This is how the lampstand was made: It
was made of hammered gold - from its base to its blossoms.
The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the
LORD had shown Moses.
Acts 7:44 "Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the
Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God
directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
Hebrews 8:5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a
copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses
was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See
to it that you make everything according to the pattern
shown you on the mountain."
Furthermore, the earthly tabernacle and temples were not simply
metaphorical illustrations of what heaven
is like. That is to say, it is not that
heaven itself is the pattern for the tabernacle and temple, but that
in heaven there exist actual buildings (structures) of a temple.
There is a temple of the tabernacle in heaven and the earthly
tabernacle and temple were just copies of it.
Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that
sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven,
and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament:
and there were lightnings , and voices, and thunderings, and
an earthquake, and great hail.
Rev 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple
which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Rev 15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the
temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was
opened:
Rev 15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple,
having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen,
and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from
the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able
to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of
the seven angels were fulfilled.
Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple
saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the
vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial
into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple
of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
God's throne is presently located in this angelic temple.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace
to help in time of need.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw
also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted
up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood
the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered
his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain
he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy,
holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full
of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice
of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man
of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from
off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said,
Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken
away, and thy sin purged.
Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of
God, and serve him day and night in his temple:
and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among
them.
Revelation 8:3 Another angel, who had a golden censer,
came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense
to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden
altar before the throne.
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial
into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple
of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
It is also extremely important to note that Christ Jesus himself
entered into the heavenly temple when he ascended into heaven
and purified it with his own blood.
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of
good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his
own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us.
Hebrews 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the
patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with
these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy
places made with hands, which are the figures of the true;
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often,
as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year
with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end
of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself.
Now, given that the heavenly temple was in need of purification
by the blood of Christ Jesus, the question arises, why was
the heavenly temple in need of purification? Or in other words,
what was it that had desecrated the heavenly temple in the
first place? Well, on this note, we can perhaps only offer
some speculation. Here is what the scripture tells us. The
adversary (which is a translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic
word "Satan") may have once attended in the angelic temple
and by his sins he defiled it.
Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of
God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz,
and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the
sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship
of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the
day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub
that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon
the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in
the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect
in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity
was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise
they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou
hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane
out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O
covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast
corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast
thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they
may behold thee. 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries [04720]
by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy
traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the
midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee
to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold
thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be
astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt
thou be any more.
The Hebrew word for "sanctuaries" in Ezekiel 28 is "miqdash."
The definition is provided below.
04720 miqdash {mik-dawsh'} (Ex. 15:17) {mik-ked-awsh'}
from 06942; TWOT - 1990f; n m
AV - sanctuary 69, holy place 3, chapel 1, hallowed part 1;
74
1) sacred place, sanctuary, holy place
1a) sanctuary
1a1) of the temple
1a2) of the tabernacle
1a3) of Ezekiel's temple
1a4) of Jehovah
As we can see from the definition above, miqdah can be used
and is used to refer to the temple and tabernacle of God.
Notice Ezekiel 28's description that the "anointed cherub"
walked "up and down in the midst of the stones of fire" which
were "upon the holy mountain of God" and "defiled thy sanctuaries."
This description of "sanctuaries" or temple buildings on the
"mountain of God" where there is "stones of fire" seems quite
similar to Isaiah 6's description of the "temple" of God in
heaven where there are "seraphims" and "live coals" on an
"altar."
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw
also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up,
and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the
seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his
face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he
did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy,
holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his
glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him
that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said
I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:
for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then
flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal
in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off
the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo,
this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away,
and thy sin purged.
Based upon these similarities, we believe it is quite possible
that the "anointed cherub" spoken of in Ezekiel at one time
attended in the Temple of God in heaven and defiled it by
"the multitude of [his] iniquities." If that is the case,
and the devil did defile the Temple of God in heaven by his
iniquities, that would also explain why Jesus had to "purify"
the heavenly Temple with his blood, as Hebrews 9 clearly states
he did. If the devil did not somehow defile that sanctuary,
then why was it in need of purification by the blood of Jesus
Christ?
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of
good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his
own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us…19 For when Moses had
spoken every precept to all the people according to the
law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water,
and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book,
and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament
which God hath enjoined unto you. 21 Moreover he sprinkled
with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the
ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged
with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things
in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly
things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with
hands, which are the figures of the true; but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for
us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the
high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood
of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the
foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Getting back to the point at hand, the abundance of scripture
above thoroughly establishes that in
the Bible "heaven" is a place where there are buildings
and physical structures, or at least one building, a heavenly
temple. Christ entered this temple and purified it with his
own blood. And it is likely that this heavenly temple was
in need of purification because of the disobedience of some
of the angels who resided there. Since heaven has physical
structures, it is fair to say that it is a material,
albeit distinguished and currently separated by distance earth.
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Related
Images


Cosmology
(Days of Creation)
(Figures 1-6)


Cosmology Chart
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